According to reports, Portugal once again ranks among the top 10 most peaceful countries in the Global Peace Index (IGP), assessed by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). The rankings are based on 23 indicators, from the number and duration of internal conflicts to violent crime rates to military expenditures and nuclear weapons capabilities.
The higher the score, the less peaceful the country. Scores for 2023 ranged from 1.124 (Iceland) to 3.448 (Afghanistan).
Portugal came in 7th in the world and 5th in Europe, for the 2023 IGP released in November. Iceland held onto first place, followed by Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria and Singapore. Rounding out the top 10 behind Portugal are Slovenia, Japan and Switzerland.
[See more: China has assured Portugal that it won’t be supplying arms to Russia]
This year saw an increase in the deterioration of global peacefulness, with scores increasing by an average of 0.42 percent. Improved scores were recorded for 84 countries, down from 90 in 2022, and 79 countries saw their score deteriorate, up from 71.
The most striking deteriorations were seen in Ukraine, Haiti, Mali, Israel and Russia, driven by war or internal conflict and instability. Libya, Burundi, Oman, Ivory Coast and Afghanistan saw the biggest improvements, although Afghanistan remains in last place at 163rd.
Outside of Ukraine (157th) and Russia (158th), the bottom 10 countries have remained largely unchanged, with Iraq, Sudan and Somalia coming in above Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan rounding out the list.
